Signal



Dec. 7,1926. 1, 10,157

C. A. ROBERTS SIGNAL Filed Oct. 5. 1925 23heets-Sheefi 1 zwizamwM INVENTOR Dec. 7 1926.

c. A. ROBERTS SIGNAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1925 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 7, 19Z6, I

CHARLESA: nonnn'rs,

SIGNAL A iic afibnmew-ember 5, IBQEZIS'eriaP Na 60,541";

- This invention relates to asignal for vehicle; the g neral "object of the invent-ionbe ing to p'r ovide-a si'gnal arm which is nor rnal l'y' held encased but which can beeasily' and quickly dropped to horizontal posit'ion s that pedestrians and: the driversof: other:

' 1 vehicles, bot-11 m fir' nfi andin rear of; the, vehicle c'arnying' til-le signal will; be notified i so erence will be had to the'accompanying dTa'wings i wherein likachanaeters denote-likeor cori espoi-irli ng parts throughout the several views, and in Which': t

Figure 1 is a sectional" view through a portion of the vehicle, showing-the invention in use; 7

"Figure 2' is a vertical sectional view through a signal device.

. ing the signal arm inloweredposition.

* and drivers'of other cars,,no matter in what -'clamped or otherwise fastened to the frame 7,

P f I I Figure 3 is adetail sectional view show- Figure 4 is a front, View of the device.

the-switch means. 1 Figure 6 is a detail front'viewof said switch. 7 i i i As shown in Figure 1,-I prefer to place a signal deviceat each side of the windshield, sothat the signals can be seen by pedestrians position they arein relative to the vehicle which carries the signal..

Each signal comprises a housmg lfwhich,

is formed of a bracket 2*so that it can be of the windshield. The front and'top' of said housing are open; The signalflarm3 is of "hollow constructionand has anlenlarged upper en d l, a window 5 b'einglocated in" each} ofthe .front and rear faces of said enlarged endQe Apin' 6fpasses through the housing; and through the lower inn-erv corner of, the arm, the pin being so located that-the garm- Figure 5 is a sectional detail viewithrough bottom ofijthe housing acting as a stop to limit the: downward movement of the anm;

position, is en'clos'edsby the housing, but its upper end l projeet's ir om -tlie housing; A

springl pnessed latch- 7- has-- beveledi'p'a'rt engaging a; beveled; wall: of a: keeper opening 8 in) the re'ar of. the hot s-in'g: to: liold the arm 'tion (at-gravity:- The scrim-when": in vertical in verticalqpositionu A icable 9r iis= attalched supported? on: the: housing 1 and the others on theyehicl'e. T heends of thelcablesE for theadevices ter'minate at a point whereatliey to-' the am above the latch and passesover the guiding pulleys 10;. one fi hich-b i can be readily grasped by the: driver ofthe vehicle. A coiled spring 11 is arrangedv in the upper par-toi the? ho usingiand acts as a shock: absorber for the: amin asrthe same is pulled into the housing: and this spring also 1 1 g M fiyfi throw "theharmf dowr Wfll'dly to: release the latch. wheat-he cable'9' is" pulledtoiamove'ithearin rearward lyi: to compresshthe springi'and' toqmove the beveledt pa nt of: the 'latch i a} slight distance i from the inclinedpart of the keeper opening 8. Then when the cable is released, the

pressure of'thefspringon the armand the action of gravity will throw 'the'arm forwardly so that th'eilatch will ride over the inclinedwallof the keeperjopening and the arm will drop into horizontal position. The pressure of the latch spring is suflicient to hold the arm its" vertical position.

A socket 12 for a lamp 13 is carried by a partition 14 inthe'arm Whichforms a chamf 7 her in the part l-thereoii'. This lamp, when lighted,'will illuminate thewindows. The conductors 15 fortlie' lamp pass through the stem part of the arm and are connected with the terminals'16 which are electrically connected' With the spring plungers l'Zlcarried I by anyinsulated block-18 in the 'lowerpart'f f of the arm. hen the arm is inhorizontal position, these}v "pl'ungers will engage the j springs 19 on the terminals 20 which are cone nected by'the conductors 21with' a source of supply. Thus the cir'cuit'to the (lamp will ebe closedas soon as theiarm' reaches the limit.

of its downward .moveme ntiand the circuitwill be'broken when the armustarts to reuse.

In order to provide means for breaking the circuit during the day or whene'ver desiredfj Iprovide a switch '22, formed in part of insulating material and'which is pivoted to a V ,can drop into a horizoiital'position with the *projection ion the hous ngi. The eentralf 7 part of the switch is beveled on its edges so that when it is moved from acentral position, it will pass over either one of the springs '19 and thus prevent the'plunger 17 from contacting with'its spring, thus preventing the completion of the circuit. 7

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the arm will naturally assume a horizontal position under the action of gravity and of the spring 11,- but this'is prevented by the spring latch 7. When the device is to be operated, the cable 9 is given-a slight jerk 'andthen releasedso as to first move the arm rearwardly to compress the spring 11 and tospace the latch from its keeper. Then the spring throws the arm forwardly and the momentum of the arm will cause the latch to ride over the beveledpart of the keeper opening and thus the, arm will drop to 1ts horizontal position. As soon as it reaches its lowest position, thecircuit Wlll automat1-' within'the scope of the appended claim.

lVhat I claim is A device of the class described including a housing open on one side and'at one end, a signal arm normally disposed within said housing with one end projecting beyond the open end of the housing, means for pivotally mounting said 7 arm to' permit swinging movement of the same relative to the housing,,said housing having a keeper opening, with one wall bevelled,outwardly, a spring latch carried by the arm and adapted to engage thewall oil the opening for normally retaining said arm-within the'housing, a transverse partition in the housing adjacent one endth'e'reof forming alighting chamber, a

of the casing and'having connection with the aim whereby to move said arm to an'inoperative normal position for engaging the spring latch with one wall of the keeper opening,rand a coil spring carried by one wall of the housing and adapted to be engaged by the arm when moved to a position withinthe housing whereby the tension of the said spring will be compressed upon the engagement of the latch with one wall of the keeper opening, the tension of said spring having a tendency to force the arm out oi the latch. p V V In testimony whereof I affizi my signature.

. CHARLES A, ROBERTS. I

casing upon the release of said 

